The New Girl In Town
by MaverickMarauder
Summary: The quiet, bookworm Adara Foley was used to moving. Her parents finally get jobs were they can make roots. Adara meets a nice guy her age at the bookstore inside of town and he ends up helping her make friends at her new school. Will the Marauders push them together? Or will they continue as things are? R/OC, Rated T for now
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **__All of the characters that you do not know are mine. Everything else is JKR's._

**The New Girl In Town**

Adara Foley rested her head lazily on the arm rest of her parents' SUV as she looked out the window. The sun shone through the window, the rays making her dark brown hair shimmer and her hazel eyes sparkle. This type of weather was uncommon for the area. The sun was out and shining beautifully. No rain cloud in the sky. It was a grand day to play Quidditch, if that was something you fancied. _Another beautiful day, wasted with a drive. _Adara continued to gaze out of the window out onto the new town. This day was one she had dreaded for a while. Moving day. Adara's mother, Andrea, was driving the family SUV while her father, Darren, was driving the moving van. Although a wizarding family, they all preferred to drive then to apparate, as it was difficult to move all of their furniture and luggage through apparition. The Foley's also enjoyed the different views that they got to see that they would miss out on had they simply apparated everything.

You see, this was not their first time moving. In fact, it was not their first time moving this year. In the last year, the Foley's had moved 3 times. This was due to the fact of job relocationing. Andrea and Darren were both librarians and were constantly moving, after getting better job offers in different parts of the country. Adara had attended Beauxbatons, Starcraft Academy, this one school that separated all the purebloods, halfbloods, and muggleborns into different houses, and many others. She would not even try to make friends, because she knew that a move was in her future, as always. She had gotten used to things being this way. It had helped her school-wise. She never had to worry about missing an assignment or letting things fall between the cracks, as she had nothing to occupy her time otherwise. As her parents were librarians, she regularly kept books on the ready for free-time reading. Ink was practically in her DNA, she was sure of it.

Adara had apparently dozed off in the warmth of the sun, because the next thing she knew, her mother was pulling in behind her father in what appeared to be their new drive way. Adara had to hand it to her parents; this place was not as bad as the last house that they had briefly occupied. The home had a very nice cozy look to it. It was a two-story brick house with black shutters on each window. The house was not far from London, her mother had mentioned, but you would never know it because the house was so secluded from the world it seemed. Adara could already see herself lazing up beside the tree out back and reading one of her many worn, torn, and cherished books. As fast as those thoughts came into her head, reality set in that much faster. She was aware of the way things happened with her family, always moving. It was nice to see different parts of the country but she never had a place to call "home" per say. As Andrea's delighted face came into view in their living room where Adara was standing, she immediately noticed her daughter's sadness.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Don't you think that the house is beautiful? When we had previewed the house, all I could think of was how much this place reminds me of you." Andrea smiled at her only daughter.

Adara looked up at her mother. After seeing the delight on her face and after what she said, she knew she didn't want to hurt her mother's feelings. "It's nothing, mum. It's just that, uh, this shade of green in the living room will clash with our couches. And, I know that we can't change things like that in the houses, because..." Adara had begun to truthfully say 'because buying paint is a waste when we will not even be here long enough for it to dry' but instead, she finished with an alternate statement which was also true, "…because we shouldn't waste the expenses on paint on something that isn't ours."

Andrea smiled, much to the surprise of her daughter. She walked closer to the hunter green walls that were spotted where the old owner's pictures had hung. "You know, Adara. You're right. This green would look dreadful with our furniture. What about maybe a mint green instead? Or even a beige to match the throw pillows. Yes, I could definitely image a beige room."

Adara rolled her eyes. Her mother obviously had ignored or not heard her last statement about wasting money to paint a room that isn't even theirs. "Mother, were you listening to me 4 seconds ago? I know that we will be moving in the next few months and landlords will not usually let us change things if we are only renting the house for a short time." Her mother's smile widened. Adara was starting to get aggravated. Something was up and she had no idea what it was.

Darren had walked in with a large box from the van listed as ADARA'S SCHOOL ITEMS and set the box down in the living room near where his wife was standing to join into the conversation.

"Addie, your mother and I have been waiting to surprise you. We have noticed that you never mention anyone from school, and realized that it has been like that for a long time, practically since you started going to school in the first place. After some thought, we realized why that was and how much our moving around with these jobs has affected you. We have talked about it and decided that this is the last move. We want to do right by you, and although that's what we are doing with our jobs, we know that for you to be a well-rounded young lady, you must have a regular group of friends and the only way you can have a regular group of friends is if you actually have a chance to make and keep them. We just hope that you enjoy it here, because we will be here for a long time!" Darren had pulled his wife into his side gently while giving his daughter the news. Adara's smile matched his almost perfectly.

She could not believe this! Her very first actual home! They could put a swing in the oak tree in the yard and she could plant a garden and watch it grow! The little things in life that she had missed out on, she could finally do. Adara was ecstatic.

Adara hugged her parents, with tears in her eyes. "You mean it? We can stay?!" They nodded and laughed at her obvious excitement. "I get to finish my studies at the same school? And make friends with my classmates? Mum! Dad! Can I bring home friends to stay over sometimes? We have plenty of space! This living room – OUR living room – is incredible! The paint just has to go! Can I go and get the paint at the store so we can paint before we get everything all put away? Please! I've never gotten to paint a room before!" Adara was absolutely giddy with excitement. Remember when I said "this was one day that she dreaded?" This day has taken a turn in a whole new direction.

Her parents agreed to let her get the paint and supplies. She ran back out to the front seat of the van and grabbed Aurora and her cage to show her tawny owl their new permanent home. Aurora was her very best friend. She had had her for 5 years, because her grandmother had given baby Aurora to her as a gift for her 9th birthday so that no matter where either one of them were at, Adara could always reach her. Sadly, about 7 months later, Gammy had suffered from a massive stroke while alone in her home. They found out when Aurora had returned with the same letter that Adara had written to her Gammy and no reply. Remembering how they found Gammy in the kitchen the way that she was always made Adara very upset. Aurora became a very close member of the Foley family after that, as she was the gift that Gammy gave Adara and the owl that had alerted them to Gammy's situation. After showing Aurora the house, she let her out to spread her wings as she did every night. Her mother volunteered to apparate Adara to town so that she could get dinner while Adara got the paint.

Adara and Andrea arrived just around the block from the strip mall that they had passed on their way through town. The strip mall had a paint supply store, an arcade, a laundromat, a bookstore, and a coffee show all right there together. Andrea told Adara to go get the paint and that she would meet back with her outside of the bookstore in an hour or so, as she had to walk to the diner and then wait for the food. They separated ways as Adara walked into the paint store. She asked the little old man working behind the counter to mix her 2 gallons of beige semi-gloss paint. When she paid for the paint and supplies, she looked at the time and knew her mother would not be back right way so she asked the nice man if he would hold it there for her until her mother returned for her. He agreed.

She could not resist herself. She loved books and with a bookstore that close, she had to scope it out. As the bell chimed behind her, she instantly smelled the undeniably familiar smell of aged books. This was always her favorite type of bookstore. Used books told her which books were worth reading because of their wear. As she picked up a dusty old paperback that she knew to have been read more than a few times, she noticed another customer in the store around her age she assumed. He looked her age, but his face showed signs that he had been through a lot in his young years. When she turned her head to look at him more closely, he noticed the movement and did the same. They both shyly smiled and turned back to their books. She noticed him in the corner of her eye looking over at her again. Knowing that it was a bold move for her, she gathered up herself and walked the few steps over to him to get a head start on making friends.

"See anything you like?" Adara said. As soon as she asked, she turned bloodshot red. _Adara! Now you look like you're trying to come onto him! Fix it, fix it!_ "I-I-I mean, the books, of course." She saw him smile, although her original question had obviously unsettled him which was clear due to the blush he wore.

"Yes, I have, actually. I found a copy of _Withering Heights_. My copy doesn't even have all the pages anymore, due to the use of it. It's one of my favorites, and with school starting back up soon, I was hoping to find a copy to read on the train ride. What about you?"

The boys brown hair fell into his eyes, brushing over his dark brown and amber-colored orbs. As she went to answer him, she realized how much she had to look up to speak to him. He was a good foot taller than her at least. She stood a whole 5'4, which had to make him at the shortest 6' tall. His clothes looked very clean, but showed a lot of use was gotten out of them. She wondered if that was his style or if he could not afford to buy more clothes. She mentally kicked herself for thinking like that. _You don't judge people's appearances, Adara. He could be waiting on his new clothes to dry. He might have worked all day!_ His lightly tanned hand moved in front of her face. Oh, he had asked her a question!

"S-sorry! Yeah, I um I found a new, well old, book to try. I've never heard of it before, but it looks interesting. Someone has gotten good use out of it, so I feel obliged to give it a try." She smiled at him.

"You mean you just grab the most worn books and try them?"

"Well, yeah,basically… If someone has loved a book enough to read the poor thing until it is practically in pieces, then it usually means that it is a decent book, at worst. That is the best and quickest way to find a good book."

"That's a very good idea. As much as I come here, I have never thought about it that way. I mean, I've never been one to turn a good book away, but I've never even entertained the thought of used books to show which ones are worth reading. Very impressive."

"You're very sweet. Thank you…" Adara shyly smiled again, face having a pink tint as he gave her the compliment. She was fishing for his name. The boy was very nice (and rather cute) and it appeared that he liked to talk to her too!

"Remus Lupin. " He quickly replied. She smiled at his name, which sounded like his name was 'Remuslupin'. When she had thanked him, it had made him a little unnerved.

"Well, thank you, Remuslupin." At the use of his last name and his first, he began to ramble.

"Well, it's just Remus. I mean, you can call me by my last name too, if you want to. I'm not sure why I said it like that. Then again, I don't do very much talking without my friends from school. I hope you didn't think that I was spying on you or anything while you were looking at your book. I noticed how your eyes lit up at all the used books and the way you smiled was very nice. I wish that more people treated books the way you seem too. You can tell by how your face lights up that you know your books and how to truly enjoy them. I wish my friends could meet you and you could show them that I'm not the only one like that in the world…" He shut his eyes embarrassedly when he realized that he was rambling like an oaf and seemingly making himself out as a fool. He then quietly muttered under his breath, "Oh, Merlin, Remus, just shut it already…"

Adara giggled at his embarrassed expression. She extended her free hand out to him as she introduced herself. "It's fine, Remus. I'm Adara Foley. Just moved into town today, just outside of town actually. Do you live around here?"

Remus nodded. "I probably live around your area, because I thought I saw a moving van come in and park at one of the houses near my home. Do your parents drive a champagne colored SUV?" Adara nodded. "It must have been you then! Ha, small world."

They both looked at each other and back at the books awkwardly after that. Neither one of them knew anything to talk about without the conversation ending up weird. If they talked about age, they would talk about school and neither thought that conversation was a good one to have with a stranger. Adara looked at the clock and noticed the time. She only had about 15 minutes before her mum was to be back. She cleared her throat.

"Well, Remus. I must go and gather my things from next door. It was nice to meet you. I hope I see you around sometime. I'd be nice to exchange books with someone who enjoys books like I do." Adara smiled at him.

As Adara paid for her book and started towards the door, Remus caught up with her. His face was turning a shade of red as his hand rubbed the back of his neck. He obviously was not used to making friends with girls very often.

"Uh, Adara. Do you think that maybe I could write to you? I go back to school soon, but I would like to know...more about you." A thought must have frantically crossed his mind, because then he said, "I-I mean, I understand if you don't want to write to a complete stranger though. For all you know, I could be some super possessive psycho freak…I-I'm not, though!" Remus shook his head and inwardly rolled his eyes at himself. _Remus, you are totally blowing this. No wonder Sirius is always bugging you about talking to girls more. Now you finally find a nice girl who has similar interests, and you are making a bugger out of yourself. Get it together. It's not like you are asking the girl out or something._

Adara giggled at his face. She could tell he was embarrassed, so she spoke. "Sure. You're not a complete stranger, Remus. I would like that. I don't really have many friends. " _None, actually_. "I'll give you my home number too. Maybe if you get a wild hair, you can call me." She smiled, showing him her pearly white teeth. She took out a pen from her bag and wrote her new number on the inside of his palm. She already had it memorized so that if there was a problem while they were out, she could give her dad a call and let him know.

He told her that he would contact her soon, before he went back to school. They waved good-bye to each other as she left the bookstore and met up with her mom. They picked up the paint, went down the block, and once out of sight, they side-apparated.

Once back home, they noticed that the moving van was practically empty. Darren had moved all the furniture into the house, except the living room furniture. They all ate their dinner that Andrea brought home, before starting on the painting. The paint was covering the green very well. After finishing the room, they left it to dry. Adara was so excited about the day. She had a new home, a new school she could stay at, a new bookstore not far from her home, and she had met a very nice, and handsome, guy at that bookstore. Things were already looking up! As she crawled into her bed in her new room, she told Aurora all about her day and about the new boy.

She could not stand it any longer. Her eyes had begun to feel heavy, so she gave into them. She hoped that she would be getting her supply list from Hogwarts tomorrow, so that she could get prepared for school. She had always imagined having a normal life. And now, everything seemed to be working out for them. Adara smiled as she dozed off to sleep, with the thought of those dark brown amber eyes on her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

"That's weird. We just got this phone turned on like a week ago. How could someone already have our number?" Andrea was walking to grab the phone, when Adara jumped up and beat her to it.

"Hello?"

"Uh, yes. Is Adara there?"

"This is she. May I ask who is speaking?" She thought that it was Remus, but she wanted to be sure.

"Oh. Uh, this is Remus. Remus Lupin. The uh guy you met at the bookstore last week? Y-you had given me your phone number and said that if I got a wild hair, I-I could call you…"

"I thought that it was you, but I wanted to make sure. I wasn't sure you were going to call. How are you, Remus?"

She could hear his smile when she cleared up that she remembered him. He had already wracked his nerves in order to call her in the first place, and had she not remembered him, he would have felt like a complete idiot. "I am pretty good. I've been getting all of my school books together and getting a head start. How about yourself?"

Adara nodded, not that he could see her. "I am very well, myself. I haven't gotten all of my school supplies yet, but I'm nearly there! I am excited about this school year. I have never stayed longer than 6 months at a school before, so this year will be my first full length year at the same school." Remus could hear the excitement in her voice.

He really wanted to know what school she was going to, but neither one of them asked. Neither wanted to make the conversation turn awkward – really, if the person you just met started talking about how they go to school in a castle that no one can see unless you have magical abilities… Yeah, that conversation would be a great start.

"So…" They both began at the same time. The two laughed.

Remus waited for Adara to start. "So, not to come off rudely, but what were you calling for?" She hoped that he did not think she was trying to hurry him off of the phone. She enjoyed talking to him. His voice was very calm and respectful. He was starting to grow deeper, she could tell.

"Oh, sorry. Um, I was going through my books in my room and I thought about what you said about exchanging books. I was wondering if you would like to maybe meet up?" He sounded hopeful.

Adara smiled widely. "Yeah, yeah sure. That would be great! You said you didn't think you lived far from me? Well, I have a nice oak tree in our backyard that would be a great reading spot. If you'd like, you can come over and we could read together?"

Remus agreed to come over to her house at about 2'oclock. After the arrangements were made, they both got off the phone to get their most treasured books. When Adara came down the stairs, her mother, who was in the kitchen cooking, turned to ask who was on the phone.

"It was the boy I met at the bookstore the other day, Remus. He asked if we could meet up and exchange books. I told him we could sit by the oak tree out back and read together."

Andrea's smile that formed only grew when her daughter spoke. "Aw, well that is very nice. Sounds like you are already making friends. Would you like for me to set a plate for him for dinner?"

Adara answered, "I will ask him if he would like to eat with us when he arrives. He said that he lives just down the street from us. He told me that he saw our moving van come in."

"That is fantastic, dear. Now, why don't you go grab a blanket from the cupboard for you to sit on outside and I will make some lemonade for the two of you."

Adara thanked her mother and did as requested. Adara kept glancing at the clock to make sure that she was ready by the time Remus got there. Upstairs in Adara's bathroom, she sat brushing her dark brown hair. It was just at the middle of her back. She made sure to put some light makeup on as well as dress nicely. She was not used to having friends around, much less a boy friend around. Just before 2'oclock rolled around, she looked out the window and saw Remus walking up. He was dressed in a nice grey button down shirt, khakis, and nice shoes. They still showed signs of lots of wear, but he looked nice all the same. His hair was obviously toyed with; he kept running his hand over it to make his shaggily cut hair stay flat. Adara could see that he had a nervous tick to rub his hand behind his neck, as this was the second time she had seen him do it.

Adara ran down stairs, one of her favorite books in her hand. She heard the doorbell ring just as she got to the door. Not to look like she had been standing there waiting, she waited for a few seconds to open the door.

"Hey Remus." Adara smiled her shy smile at him.

He returned the same smile. 'Hello Adara. You look very nice today." She blushed at his words. She was not used to compliments, except from by her parents. Adara was wearing dark blue jeans, teal colored flats, and a white flowing blouse. She also had her hair half up.

Andrea had heard the doorbell ring, and not seeing anyone come in, she went to the door.

"Hello dear. You must be Remus?" Andrea extended her hand out to young boy, which he politely shook. "Yes ma'am. You have a very lovely home, Mrs. Foley."

Andrea smiled at the guest and thanked him before welcoming him inside. "Adara, don't be rude! Show Remus through to the back yard while I get you some lemonade."

Adara led Remus through the backdoor to the blanket in the shade under the oak tree.

"Just a warning: I don't have many friends, so my mother and father might just smother you. I apologize in advance."

Remus laughed. "I know what you mean. Up until I met my friends, I was the same way. My mum was so enthusiastic about me making friends that she invited them to stay with us the whole summer. After she met them and spent the summer with them, she never made that mistake again!" They both laughed.

"So, what? Are you guys a bunch of hoodlums?"

"No, mostly they just love to have fun. They just get carried away sometimes. For example, they put one of those Mu- I mean, prank cockroaches in my mums bath slippers. She is absolutely terrified of roaches and they knew that, so you can guess how that played out."

"Wow. From the looks of it though, it doesn't seem like you are that type of guy."

"Don't get me wrong. I love to have fun, and my friends are very fun to be around, but we are different. They don't understand my love for books and knowledge. They are all about pranking and girls. They don't even study very often. But they are very intelligent, well, at least James and Sirius are. Peter, he is kind of a lost cause."

"Are they coming to your house before you go back to school?"

"Yeah, in the next few weeks or so. We meet up at least once a month when we are away from school."

Adara smiled. "I really hope I can make friends like that this year. It is going to be so different for me. Because of how much I've moved, I've always just solely focused on my schoolwork and never put effort into making friends. Mostly, because I am never there long enough to keep them and it's hard for me to even get out of my shell as it is."

"Well, you seem to be doing fine with me! I would consider us friends." Remus looked over at Adara.

"Thanks. I hope that it will be this easy with other people too. Hey, maybe I can meet your friends? I-if you wanted me to, I mean."

Remus did not really want to share her with his friends. He knew that if she met his friends, as lovable and desirable as they are, she would forget about him. Not that he had romantic feelings for her or anything…He just never had a girl want to be around him and only him. He was scared that the moment she saw Sirius Black or James Potter, that would change, and he would have to be the middle man for them again. But, he saw the hope in her eyes when she asked and he couldn't deny her of that, even if he did not want it to happen.

"Uh, yeah. When they come over, I will bring them over or invite you over. Just to warn you: they will probably be all over you. Well, at least Sirius will be. James is after Lily. But, they can never pass up a pretty face." He knew he was turning red, so he turned to the side and went through his bag that he brought with him to pick out a book so she wouldn't see his face. She was glad that he had turned because her face looked the same way. She smiled at him when he turned back around.

Andrea peaked out the French door window and saw the two of them talking, smiling, and blushing. _How adorable! _When she saw them getting their books out, she decided to take the lemonade out to them.

"Here you are, darlings! Remus, dear, would you like to have dinner with us? I would love for my husband to meet you. He will be home within the next hour or so."

"Yes, ma'am. I would be delighted to. Thank you." Remus smiled at the older version of the girl to his right. He knew that Adara would turn out to be as beautiful as her mother, because you could already see the likeness.

Remus and Adara sat under the tree in silence as they read each other's book and drank their lemonade. One thing Remus noticed was that Adara read at nearly the same speed he did. He had let her read _Withering Heights_, while she let him read _The Bell Jar_. Eventually, Adara got uncomfortable and laid on the blanket, resting her head on his stomach. When she did this, his head was in the book. The sudden contact surprised him and he let out a gasp. She sat up.

"Is something wrong? I can move, I just didn't want to lay my head on a root. If it bothers you, I can move." She asked, embarrassed.

"No, no! It's okay. I just wasn't expecting it was all. It's fine." His face stayed behind the book, although he wasn't reading anymore. He had never had a girl this close to him. It made his heart race and throw off his concentration. He had already lost his place and he knew her father would be home soon for dinner, so he just hid behind the book stealing glances at his new friend.

"Remus! Adara! Come in to eat, sweethearts!" Andrea called from the door.

The two teens got up from their positions on the blanket and walked inside.

"Hello Remus. I am Darren, Adara's father. It is nice to meet you." Darren smiled at the young boy.

Remus extended his hand. "It is nice to meet you, as well, sir. I appreciate your family letting me stay for dinner. It smells amazing." Remus smiled at them.

They all sat down to eat at the dinner table and Mr. and Mrs. Foley began a conversation with Remus.

"So, Remus, how old are you?" asked Andrea.

"I am fourteen." Remus answered before biting into the chicken that Andrea had cooked.

"That's how old Adara is. Do you have any brothers or sisters?" asked Darren.

"No, sir. I have three best friends who I consider to be my brothers, but no blood relation. It's just my mum and I at the house."

"Oh, I see. What does your mother do for a living?" asked Darren.

"She is a hea- a uh… nurse for a nearby hospital. Has been for the last 8 years."

"You should invite her over one night for dinner the next time you come. We would be delighted to meet her." Andrea extended the invitation. She was just as excited about making friends as Adara was.

"I will!" Remus was very thankful of the Foley's. His mum never got out much after his dad left. She would love them.

"Remus said that his friends from school are coming into town in a few weeks. Would it be alright if I went over to his house or either they come over here? I would love to meet them!" Adara asked her parents enthusiastically.

They chucked at her excitement and agreed, as long as she was in before 10'oclock.

After dinner, the Foley's offered to drive Remus to his house. He reluctantly accepted the offer. He knew that his house was nothing compared to their home, but it was getting late and he needed to get home soon.

When they pulled into his yard, he thanked them for giving him a ride. Adara got out to say bye to him while her parents stayed in the car.

"Thank you for coming over today, Remus. It was very nice seeing you." Adara smiled.

Remus returned the smile. "I enjoyed myself today too. I usually have to read in my house by myself, so the company was great."

"Maybe next time, you will actually finish your book! I was surprised at you. You keeping up with me for a while, and then you never turned another page." Adara confronted him, confused.

Remus rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "Yeah. I don't uh know what happened. I just lost concentration."

"Well, either way, we will just have to do it again soon. You will have to finish it!" Adara smiled at him before giving him a quick hug goodbye

Remus turned red at the hug but hugged back all the same. "Bye, Adara!"

"See you later, Remus!" With that, she got back in the car and they drove off.

As Remus walked up to his house, he knew that he was going to have a time getting Sirius to stay away from her once he met her. As he got into bed, he already knew that once they started hanging out regularly, it would be hard to leave her when he went back to school.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I hope that you guys are enjoying this story. I am having a blast writing it. I haven't gotten any reviews on it, but I have been getting some followers and favorites. I appreciate the support! Please let me know how you like it!**_

Remus and Adara had begun calling each other every day. They would alternate going to each other's houses after the first day of reading under the oak. Adara loved Ms. Lupin. She reminded her a lot of her own mother, Andrea.

Ms. Lupin loved for Adara to come over. She loved the boys, but Adara did not make the messes that the boys did. She was also more than happy to assist her with making dinner. Ms. Lupin enjoyed Adara's company nearly as much as Remus did.

Ms. Lupin and the Foley's also enjoyed each other's company. When Remus would come over, Ms. Lupin (or, Cheyenne, as Darren and Andrea knew her as) would stay for some wine and pleasant conversation. Cheyenne and Andrea enjoyed watching their children from the window. The two out by the tree would do the same thing each day. They would sit out by the oak tree with their books. Adara would always lay her head on Remus's stomach or lap, depending on how he was sitting. Either way, he would pretend to read while stealing glances at Adara. Adara would never notice, but their mothers would.

"I wonder if they know that we can see them watching us." Adara asked Remus.

"I doubt that they even care." Remus laughed. Adara sat up and Remus stretched. He had gotten uncomfortable sitting the way he was, but he did not want to move.

"When are your friends coming into town anyway, Rem?"

Adara had begun calling him by this regularly, just like he had picked up on her father's nickname for her. "Yeah. They will be in tomorrow. If you'd like, you can come over tomorrow around 1'oclock and meet them. Just know that they can be a hand full. Prepare yourself, Addie."

Adara agreed to meet at his house. They gather the blanket and books and walked inside. Their mothers pretended that they were drinking tea and began an improv conversation.

"I heard that too. Yes, a goldfish's memory lasts around 3 seconds," said Andrea.

Adara rolled her eyes. "Mum, Ms. Lupin. You know we can see you when you spy on us. Give up the act."

Andrea and Cheyenne tried to look innocent, but failed extensively. "We don't know what you mean!"

Remus and Adara rolled their eyes. "Mum, are you ready? We have to get ready for the guys to come over. They are supposed to be here tomorrow morning, but you and I both know they will probably be here within the next hour or so." Cheyenne nodded.

"I love those boys, but I hope they behave better than the last time." Cheyenne said. "The last time they came over, they ended up blowing up the back porch with their pranks." Cheyenne looked at Andrea. "If you notice any smoke, please give me a call. I'm sure that there will be some."

Andrea laughed. "It sounds like some boys that I used to go to school with. Troublemakers but good guys at heart."

"They really are. Whenever they do anything too far out of line, they sincerely apologize and do what they can to make it better. They are very loyal too. Those boys would do anything for my Remus." She said adoringly.

"Sounds like they will be nice. I can't wait to meet them!" said Adara eagerly.

"Yeah…I can't wait either…" Remus said unenthusiastically.

Remus and Cheyenne said their goodbye's before heading home. Once they had left, Adara sat on the counter while her mother washed dishes manually.

"Mum, I am so nervous but excited to meet Remus' friends tomorrow. If they are anything like Remus, they will be awesome. I don't really think Remus is too happy about me meeting them though."

Wiping her hands dry, Andrea turned to her daughter. "Sweetheart, do you think that Remus might just want to keep you for himself? Maybe he's scared that you will like them better."

"Mum! There is no way that's it. Besides, the way you make it sound is that Remus has something for me. Remus doesn't like me like that. He wants me to make friends too. I just hope that when I go to Hogwarts, I can make friends like him. Maybe there will be a lot of people who like books like we do."

Andrea shook her head at her daughter. She knew that no matter what she said, the only one to convince her that they had some feelings for each other was Remus. Maybe his friends would help that along.

…

On the way home, Cheyenne noticed Remus was more quiet than normal, especially after just coming back from Adara's.

"What's on your mind, Remus? I can tell something has got you worried or upset."

Remus looked at his mother when she spoke. "Oh. No, I am fine, mum. Just been thinking, that's all."

"Thinking about what? Adara?"

"Not like that, mum…" Ever since he met Adara, his mum had this assumption that he liked her. She had asked him about it a few times, but never pushing the issue knowing how it is with his condition. "It's just… I don't know. When Adara meets them tomorrow, what if she likes Sirius and James better? What if all we have in common is books, and she meets them and she decides I'm not fun enough?" Remus admitted, distraught.

"Rem, do you have any other friends at school besides the boys?"

"Of course, I do, mum."

"Do you like your other friends any more than them?"

"Well, no. But-"

"Well, what would make you think that she not want to be around you after she meets them? You can have more than one friend, as you obviously know. I think it's another issue you're worried about."

The Lupins pulled up at their house. As they got out of the sedan and walked up the steps, Remus continued the conversation. "Are you still on that? Mum, I do not have feelings for her. She is very nice and intelligent, but I do not like her like that. She is just my friend."

At that, Sirius opened up the door with James behind him. "_Who _is just your friend? You haven't ever mentioned a girl before. She must live around here, because the only girl you hang around with at school is Lily." At the sound of his dewdrops name, James instantly turned on Remus.

"You like Lily, don't you, Moony? I KNEW IT! All this time, I thought you being friends with her was helping me in some way, but now! Now, I know you've had it out for me all along! You're the reason she keeps turning me down! Aren't you?!" Remus backed up as James got closer.

"Prongs! It's not Lily! I do not like Lily. She is just my potions partner and my friend. Only my _friend_! I would never like a girl, much less go after, a girl that my best mate liked. You know that!" Remus replied back. He knew James got temperamental when it came to Lily. Lily would never know it, but his love-struck friend would do anything he could to be with her, and her rejections always made him lash out from his hurt.

Sirius grabbed James behind the neck and pushed his back inside to cool off. That was usually all it took before James was back to normal, goof-ball Prongs.

"Sorry about that mate. Prongsie got his reply back from Lily. Needless to say, they aren't couple of the year." Sirius quietly mentioned to Remus. Remus nodded.

The boys all greeted Ms. Lupin with hugs and cheek-kisses. She laughed and returned them all.

After they greeted Ms. Lupin, the boys trudged upstairs to Remus' room. The original conversation that Remus had assumed was finished, began again. He should have known after 4 years that when it came to conversations about girls (especially, girls and _Remus_), some topics continue on for hours.

"So. Moony. What is this we hear about a girl Cheyenne thinks you have a thing for? And, just as important, WHY have we not heard of her? I am hurt, Moon. Truly hurt." Sirius went overboard with fake tears.

Remus rolled his eyes, both at the topic and the terrible acting on the floor. He ignored the initial questions. "Where is Peter? He didn't Floo with you?"

"No, he said that his mum had grounded him for the remainder of the summer. Didn't mention why. Don't try to avoid the question. You should know how great my memory is." James replied.

Remus shook his head, but answered all the same. "My mum was talking about Adara. She is girl that I met at a bookstore a couple of weeks ago. No big deal."

"Moony, Moony, Moony. When you say 'No big deal,' it is more often than not a bigger deal than any normal deal. What is she like? Have you kissed her yet? Give us some details, you git! Since you _failed_ to mention her at all to us. I am still hurt, by the way," said Sirius, prodding for more. He laid down on Remus' bed while James sat on the floor. Remus was looking through the blinds on his window, which oddly enough showed a distant but clear view of Adara's house.

"Okay! Her name is Adara Foley. She likes to read a lot, like me. When we met, she gave me her number to call her and-" At this Sirius sat up and started to talk but James covered his mouth to let Remus finish. "I called her. We have been exchanging books for about a week now. We either sit under her oak tree and read, or we come here and read in my room. There is not much to tell, really. She's really nice and friendly and smart. She is kind of quiet though. She just moved here with her parents down the road. They've moved around a lot, so she is just trying to make friends. And, no Sirius. I have not kissed her. "

"We will be her friends! " James replied.

"Yeah, that's what she is hoping for. I told her about you guys and she hasn't stopped talking about meeting you all since." James could sense something in Remus' tone.

"Well, of course! We _are _the most popular and gone after guys in our year. Why wouldn't she want to meet us?!" Sirius said cockily and rhetorically.

"My thoughts exactly…" Remus mumbled with a worried look on his face.

James heard him and could tell that something was up.

"What is it, mate?" James encouraged his quiet friend.

"You don't want us to meet her?" Sirius asked, realizing that the conversation was turning serious. He inwardly laughed at his joke.

"Of course I want you guys to meet her. It's just… I feel like after meeting you guys, she won't like spending time with me like we do now. I am worried that she will have more fun with you guys then she had with me and everything will be different." Remus had sat down at his desk and looked at his best friends.

"She sounds like a girl version of you, mate. And if that is true, then she probably will like us. But at the same time, she will still like you better, because you are the one she has more in common with." James replied. Sirius nodded.

"But, what if you meet her and then she starts to like one of you?"

"Like you said to Prongs earlier, Moon: We would never go after a girl that we know the other one likes." Sirius spoke.

Remus nodded, still thinking about what James said, before realizing that he was nodding at what Sirius had said. "It's not like – I-I don't. I don't like Adara. She is very nice and intelligent, but we are just friends!" Remus looked at his friends again and seeing their grins, he continued. "We are just friends. She has made that very clear."

"If you're not worried about her meeting and being friends with us and you don't like her, then why are you worried about her liking one of us?" Sirius asked.

"I-I don't know…It would be weird between us" replied Remus, only his statement sounded like a question.

"Okay. Well, you're sure you don't like her?" asked Sirius.

"Yes."

"Well, do you mind if I give her a ring? I haven't had a girl all summer." Sirius joked, but Remus took it seriously.

"No! You can't call her. She gave her number to me, not to you. If she wants you, she'll give it to you!"

"Okay, okay! Well, is she hot? Like I said mate, I've had a dry season. I can't wait for school to start back. I am ready to get back at it."

Remus hit Sirius in the back of the head. "You aren't going to go after her just for just a shag. I warned her about you, you know. I said 'Sirius can't pass up a pretty face.' You haven't even seen her yet and you are already talking about shagging her!"

"You told her that?" asked James.

"Of course I did! We both know it's true."

"That warning sounds more like a compliment, to me. Moony, I didn't think you had it in you to flirt." Sirius rubbed the top of Remus' head with his hand.

"I wasn't trying to flirt with her! It was a legitimate warning."

"Well, Moony. To me, it seems like you are in denial. If you are scared to date, that's understandable. But, you can at least admit it. We know you have some kind of feelings for her. She would not have you this worked up if you didn't." James gave him a look that showed Remus that he could trust them.

"I don't. I mean, yeah, she is beautiful, but that's not all I see when I look at her, you know? She is a great person. A great _friend_. Besides, guys, I don't even know if she likes me anyways. So, really, what difference does it make if I were to like her anyway?"

"Well, obviously it could make all the difference. If you admit that you like her, even to yourself, it is a start. You can't win the race without entering." James looked at Remus in the eyes seriously.

"That's what she said! OHH!" Sirius was then bombarded with pillows to his head.

"I don't know, James." Remus looked at his hands before looking back at James. "What if I, _hypothetically_, did admit it? First of all, as you may have forgotten, I have a little issue that I try to keep under wraps that could be very dangerous for anyone I am around, actually. And second, if she found out about that, she could be disgusted or scared. I don't think I could live with that kind of rejection. And lastly, there's a good chance that she doesn't even like me. What if I did decide I liked her and then I asked her out and she wants to just remain friends?"

"You just need to test it and see what happens. I have been trying to get Lily to go out with me for almost 3 years. Even though I am constantly rejected, I still try. One day, it will pay off. You watch. At least, you are friends with Adara. It may be awkward, but you could still talk to her and convince her how much of a catch you are. I can't even do that!"

"So, is the moral of the story to be patient or to annoy the hell out of the girl until she decides to marry me?" Remus smiled and side pushed James, letting him know that he was kidding. They smiled at each other.

Remus still wasn't sure how he felt about Adara, but he was lucky to have friends who were willing to help him make the decision. The two boys dozed off shortly after James and Remus finished talking, lulled to sleep by Sirius' snoring.

_**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Send me some suggestions on how you hope to see the story go. Thanks!**_

_**MaverickMarauder**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I usually don't do this, but I have to give a shout out to A nonny mouse for her review. It was very special to me. I have not written in so long and that review meant a lot to me. :') So, this chapter is dedicated to her!**_

Remus woke that morning to James and Sirius' antics. Still half asleep, he threw his pillow and hit one of them, apparently it being James, as he heard him let out a loud "OOF!"

"Come on, mate. You need to get up! It's already 11 o'clock." Sirius jumped on the bed, trying to wake his tired friend, but ended up falling and landing on Remus. The moon was changing this week and Remus was starting to feel it. On a full moon week, he was usually very tired and weaker feeling, usually to the point that on the day of the full moon, he just slept all day.

"Padfoot, get off me! I'm up, I'm up!" Sirius got up and moved to the floor. Remus sat up and rubbed his tired eyes. James was in the middle of getting dressed and Sirius had moved on to checking his hair.

_I really hope that they don't embarrass me today._ Remus got out of bed and jumped into the shower down the hall. After his shower, Remus put on a pair of jeans and a dark grey t-shirt. Remus attempted to fix his hair to lie flat, but it was just not going to do what he wanted to. Sighing, the poor guy just gave up. Usually, it was shaggy (but neat), but he wanted to look nicer than usual.

With his keen sense of smell, he could smell his favorite breakfast being cooked by his mother: bacon, sausage, beans, mushrooms, and fried bread. It was always amazing! After the three scarfed down breakfast, they all went outside. Being underage, they were not allowed to perform magic outside of school, so during the summer, they reverted to Muggle fun. While Remus enjoyed a book, the other two played football, one on one. Sirius and James both enjoyed sports of any kind, but Remus just liked to watch. He had never been a competitive person, except maybe in school. Even in school, he wasn't all that competitive, just studious.

After a little time had passed, the boys grew tired of football and opted to riding their brooms to play a short game of Quidditch. When they walked back outside and prepared to mount their brooms, Remus looked up from his book. He quickly stopped them.

"You can't do that here! Adara and her family might see you!" Remus frantically told them.

"Wait, you mean you don't even know if she is a witch?" Sirius asked Remus.

"No, I don't. How am I supposed to know, anyway? It'd be pretty easy to tell if she was riding a broom or did some sort of magic, but we are underage. How would you figure it out? It's not like I can come out and ask her. She would send me off to the loony home if she was a Muggle!" Remus explained.

James and Sirius both shrugged, not sure what they would do in his shoes either.

"Well, we will just have to keep it to ourselves then, I suppose." They all agreed.

When the clock in the house struck at 12:30, Remus ran inside and told his mother that they were going to meet up with Adara. She gave him some money for all of them to go do something fun.

On the walk there, Sirius began to talk. "I am excited to meet this girl, Moon!" He threw his arm around Remus' shoulder. "She has to be something if _you _are talking to her."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Remus looked over at him, not sure if he should be offended or not.

"It's no offense to you, mate. I've just been trying to get you to talk to more girls since second year. I think it is great that you finally took my advice."

James nodded in agreement before speaking. "Yeah, I think so too. It isn't every day that you are introducing us to a girl. Usually, it's the other way around."

Remus smiled to himself as they walked. He had not thought about that. He did think it was nice that he met this girl first and she talked to him without Sirius and James even being on her mind. Usually, when girls would try to talk to him at school, it was ultimately to get with James or Sirius.

"I just hope that you guys behave at her house. Her parents are very nice people. Mr. Foley probably won't be there right now though. He is usually at work. Her mother decided to wait until Adara goes to school to start work, so that Adara won't be home alone."

"Did she decide that before or after you started coming over?" Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Remus side-shoved Sirius as they got to the door and rang the doorbell. Subconsciously, Remus began to flatten his hair and fix his shirt. Seeing this, Sirius laughed and pointed it out to James.

"See that? He looks like you when you get ready to approach Lily. Understand why we think it's so funny, now?" Sirius quietly said to James.

James laughed with Sirius after shoving him sideways.

After about a minute, the door opened. Adara had a big smile on her face. Her hair was curled and down. She had on light natural makeup and had on a red top, with a denim jacket, matching skinny jeans, and black converse.

"Hello Remus." She smiled at him as she greeted him, and then turned to the other two unfamiliar boys. "And you must be Remus' friends. I am Adara." She extended her hand to James first who took it and said, "I'm James." She smiled at him and turned to Sirius. "And, I am Sirius." He took her hand and kissed the top of it dramatically.

Adara raised her eyebrows at his antics, while Remus scowled and rolled his eyes. As they walked in, Remus shoved Sirius practically into the wall before following Adara into the living room.

"Would either of you like something to drink?" She offered. "I know Remus will want some lemonade. Would you like for me to fix either of you a glass?" She walked toward the kitchen, but waited for an answer from her guests.

"Yes, please. Thank you." James answered.

"Me too. Thanks." Sirius replied.

"Thank you, Addie." Remus smiled at her. "No problem, Rem." She returned the smile and walked away.

After she walked into the kitchen, James and Sirius both grinned at Remus.

"What?" Remus asked.

"Nothing." Sirius smirked.

Remus rolled his eyes, exasperated. "What are two grinning like that for?"

"I just didn't know _Addie_ was so thoughtful," replied Sirius, teasing.

"And, you really did not do justice on her looks either, mate. She is smokin.'" James admitted.

Remus blushed. "Yeah, well. Like I said, she is great person. I am not friends with her just because of her looks."

"But, it helps, doesn't it?" Sirius chided, with a wolfish grin on his scruffy face.

Remus rolled his eyes at him and shook his head. _I will never hear the end of this._

Adara came back into the room with three tall glasses of lemonade. "I hope it isn't too tart. I made it myself."

"If you made it, love, I'm sure that it is especially sweet." Sirius gave her his heart melting smile. He took a sip of it and puckered his lips and made a face. "Well…maybe, it could use _a little_ more sugar."

Remus, James, and Adara all laughed at the face Sirius made. "Sorry! I'll grab you some sugar. Hang on one second." She ran back into the kitchen and came back with a container of sugar. They all put a couple of scoops into their lemonade.

Adara sat next to Remus on the couch. "So, Remus, what are we going to do today?" Adara turned to him and asked.

"Yeah, are we just going to drool over Adara, or we going to do something else?" James winked at her.

Adara blushed and smiled. Remus shot a look at James before answering. "Mum gave me some money to do something. We could go into town and catch a movie, or go to the arcade, or something. Do you think your mum would drive us into town?" Remus asked Adara.

"She isn't here right now. She should be back in a few hours though. She went to meet with Dad for lunch. We could go outside until she gets back. You never have finished _The Shining_, you know."

"Wait, Moony not finishing a book? That's not like him." Sirius replied to Adara's statement.

She turned toward Sirius. "That's what I have been saying! He will read like I do for a while and then he says he loses concentration."

James sent Remus a questioning look. Remus just shrugged his shoulder and looked away.

"Wait a second, did you just call him 'Moony'?" Adara had picked up on the nickname. She laughed at the thought of where it could have come from. "You don't run around showing your arse at school, do you?"

The boys all laughed at the idea. "No. Fortunately, that is not where he got his name. He uh is real big into research. He has a poster of the moon cycle in our dorm, so that's where it comes from." James answered.

"Do you have nicknames as well?"

"Yes, we do actually. Mine is Padfoot and James' is Prongs. Our other friend Peter is Wormtail."

Adara raised her eyebrow. "Should I ask where those names come from?"

"Padfoot here, he is an animal lover. A dog lover to be exact, so we gave him that name. And, Peter, he is always quiet and rather mousy." James answered, thinking quickly.

"Yeah and Prongs has quick hands and can catch or grab anything. So we call him Prongs because he reminds us of a fork." Sirius finished, looking satisfied.

They all looked at Sirius. Remus and James' looks read 'Are you serious? THAT is what you came up with?' Adara laughed at Sirius' explanation.

James laughed embarrassedly. "We were young. Sirius was the one who came up with it… We all just kind of went along with it…"

Adara laughed and stood up. "I am going to run upstairs and grab the blanket and the books. I'll be right back."

As soon as she walked out of the room, the two turned to Sirius.

"That was probably the stupidest explanation ever. I remind you of a fork?"

"At least the other explanations were good. That was quick thinking, James." Remus stated.

"Thanks."

Adara returned. "I know Rem told me that you guys don't do a lot of reading, so I brought out a football, if you guys want to play."

They headed out back. Remus and Adara made a bee line for their tree, while James and Sirius messed around with the football.

As Remus and Adara opened their books, she started to question him.

"Do you think they like me?"

Remus smiled. "Yes, I know they do. How…do you like them?" He asked, hoping that she didn't catch his reluctance to ask.

"They are very funny. Sirius is definitely a character. You were right about him. He does seem like a flirt." Adara smiled at him.

"No kidding!" Remus laughed. They began reading like every other day. And just like every other day, after a little while, Adara moved her head to lay on his stomach while they read. And true to tradition, when this happened Remus would pretend to read (or half way read) and steal glances at Adara for the duration of their reading session.

Further out in the yard, after the two decided they were done with football, they noticed the other two by the tree.

"You can't really believe what he says about not liking her. He looks pretty comfortable to me." Sirius turned back to James after looking over at them.

"I know that he has something for her. You see how he keeps secretly looking at her." James smiled at that.

"We have to do something to help him. I'd be willing to bet that she has something for him too." Sirius speculated. He had noticed her looking at Remus when they had been in the living room.

"Maybe…but we can't push them too much though. You know how he is about dating. He truly thinks that he doesn't deserve happiness."

They shook their heads and decided to play one more game. As they all continued what they were doing, Andrea walked outside.

"Adara! Remus! I'm home! Would you like to come in and eat? I got some dinner on my way back."

Adara sat up and helped Remus up off of the ground. They picked up their blanket and walked toward the door. James and Sirius walked over to where they were and they all walked inside.

"Mum, this is James," James shook her hand politely, "and this is Sirius. They are friends of Remus' from school." Sirius took her hand and kissed it, just as he had with Adara. He smiled at her.

"It's very nice to meet you, young lady." Sirius winked as he playfully flirted with the older woman. The others laughed at Sirius and shook their heads.

Andrea laughed and shook her head. "I see that what Cheyenne has told me about you is all true."

"Well, I hope it is all good." Sirius replied.

Andrea smiled. "Would you boys like to some dinner?"

They thanked her before following her to the table. As they sat around the table, Adara asked her mother if she would drop them off just inside of town.

"Sure, I can, sweetheart. What are you all planning on doing?"

"We will probably go see a movie and maybe go to the arcade." Remus answered.

"That sounds like it will be fun! When you all are finished, I will be glad to take you." Andrea smiled at him.

They finished their dinner and washed up, before pilling in the car, Adara in the passenger side and the boys in the back. When they pulled up at the movie theater, Andrea looked through her purse for some money for Adara.

"You don't have to worry about that, Mrs. Foley. I will pay for Adara." Remus told her. The boys smiled, making Remus blush slightly. Adara smiled at Remus and thanked him.

"Aw, well that is very nice of you, Remus. I will give her some extra spending money though, just in case." She smiled at the polite young man.

"Sweetheart, just call me whenever you are ready for me to pick you up. But don't stay out too late." Andrea told her daughter as got out of the car.

"I will, mum. Don't worry."

"Thank you for driving us, Mrs. Foley," said James, genuinely.

"Yeah, we appreciate it. Maybe next time, you can come with us." Sirius continued to flirt with the attractive woman. "I'll pay your way too." Sirius said this loud enough for Remus to hear the teasing words.

"Yes, maybe. I will have to ask my _husband_ first. I have a feeling he will say no." Andrea smiled at the charming boy before telling them all bye and driving off.

The four teens walked up to the ticket booth after deciding on the new movie, Grease.

After the movie was over, James and Sirius walked out of the movie theater singing.

"You're the one that I want/Oo-oo-oo, honey/The one that I want/Oo-oo-oo, honey/The one that I want/Oo-oo-oo, the one I need/Oh, yes indeed…." James was singing the John Travolta parts and Sirius was singing the Olivia Newton-John parts. Remus and Adara followed after them laughing, watching the people's faces as they walked past.

"Are they always like this?" Adara laughed.

"Yes. Always." Remus kept laughing.

They walked about three blocks down to the strip mall. As they walked, Sirius and James began a conversation with Adara.

"So, Remus said you've moved around a lot. Where are you from?"

"I am actually from Bruges, Belgium, but we did not stay there long. We have been all over. We have stayed England for most of my life though, in once place or another." They nodded in response.

"Do you like moving like that?" Sirius asked. "I would love to go all over like that. One day, I am going to get a motorcycle and do it."

Adara smiled at his dream. "Yes and no. I like seeing different parts of the country, but I hate moving. I have never really been able to make friends. Don't get me wrong; I talked to some people while I was at school, but it was never anything you would really consider friendship."

"So you really have never had any real friends?" James asked.

"No, not really. Remus was the first real friend I have ever made, sadly." Adara frowned and then quickly looked up at Remus, "Not that I am sad about being friends with you, of course. You understand what I mean, right?" Remus smiled and nodded. She smiled back and said, "Good!"

"I suppose then that you have never had a boyfriend before either." Sirius said, just to see what she would say.

Adara blushed a bright red. "Well, no, I haven't."

Sirius got an idea. "That's a shame. You are a very beautiful girl, wouldn't you say, James?"

James nodded and smiled, catching on. "Yes, she is. What about you, Remus? Don't you think she is beautiful?"

Remus blushed and coughed. "Yes, of course. "

Adara laughed shyly. "You guys are just saying that to be nice and Remus is just saying that because I'm standing here."

James answered. "No, it's true. Remus told us last night how beautiful you were. Well, he didn't do justice, but that's Remus."

Remus' eyes grew wide as his blush darkened. Adara turned to him. "Is that true?" She asked shyly.

Remus rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed, but answered anyway. "Yeah. I did say that..." Remus looked away. Smiling, Adara stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Well, that was very sweet."

She walked into the arcade, leaving the boys at the door. Remus had a look of shock on his face before smiling. James and Sirius smiled and patted their friend on the back as they walked in.

They played all different kinds of games. Each boy took turns trying to get Adara a different kind of animal from the claw machine. Sirius grinned when he handed her his prize – a stuffed dog. She laughed.

"I don't suppose there is a stuffed fork in there." She smiled at James.

He laughed, "Probably not."

She ended up going home with a stuffed dog from Sirius, a stuffed bear from Remus, and a stuffed Kermit from James. She hugged and thanked each of the boys as they gave her their animals.

Andrea showed up outside of the strip mall about 15-20 minutes after Adara called.

"Who got you all of those, Addie?" Andrea asked her smiling daughter.

"All of the guys." She showed her mother which boy gave her each toy.

Andrea smiled at the boys as they got in the backseat. "How nice of you all to win her the stuffed animals. Did you have a good time?"

They all said yes and proceeded to tell her all about the movie. "Sounds like it will be a classic! I will have to take Darren to see it."

They chatted all on the way home. When Andrea pulled up at Remus' house, the boys and Adara all got out.

"I had so much fun with you all today! How long are you staying? Maybe I'll get to see you all again before school starts back up." Adara asked.

"I did too! I hope we get to too. We will probably be here for a few days. We will be leaving for school next week." James smiled at her. Sirius agreed.

"Yeah, the same for me. I hope that this year will be different. Maybe this summer I can bring my friends over and we can all hang out! Well… If I make friends…." Adara sighed self-consciously.

Sirius wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You'll be fine, love. I am sure that you will have so many friends come next summer that we will have to fight to see you. You will just have to keep us penciled in!"

Adara smiled at him. "Thanks, Sirius." She hugged him.

"We probably have to be fighting off boys next summer too. I guarantee that you will have plenty of perspective boyfriends this school year. But don't forget about us three; we need to be on the top of your list of potential boyfriends, because we saw you first." James said laughing, hugging Adara.

"Well, if I am going by that, Remus will have to be number one. He _did_ meet me first!" Sirius and James dropped to their knees dramatically and pretended to beg for the top spot. "Nope! Remus is my number one!" Adara smiled at their show and hugged the red Remus goodbye.

"Call me tomorrow, Remus! It was nice meeting you, guys!" She waved one last time before driving off with her mother.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Let me know what you think of this next chapter. Enjoy!**_

The boys trudged inside and up the stairs to Remus' room after getting back from the movies and the arcade. Remus knew his mother was working the night shift that night, so he did not try to find her and let her know that they were back.

"I like her. She's a pretty nice broad. If I were you mate, I would jump on that!" Sirius proclaimed as he lounged himself on Remus' bed.

"I am perfectly fine with how things are. The only thing better would be is if she was a witch, but I guess I won't ever really know that." Remus said, changing into lounge pants.

"You are only saying that because you got a kiss." James teased.

Sirius laughed at Remus' turned back. "You know, mate, _real _kisses are a lot more fun."

Remus threw his shoe at him laughing, but pink.

"You two have been trying so hard all day to either try and make me jealous or embarrass me. It's a wonder I still put up with you!" Remus said as he sat opposite of Sirius on the bed. James sat on the floor on his sleeping bag.

"You know you love us. We are only trying to help!" James stated, munching on a bag of chips.

"Help with what? I already told you: I do not like Adara. We are friends."

"I have never seen you blush so much around any other friend." Sirius pointed out.

"Well, the only other girl friend I have is Lily, and you two aren't exactly trying to set me up with her!" Remus retorted.

James laughed at Remus. "He does have a point, Padfoot."

"Either way… I do think that if you _were _to go after a girl, my two cents is on Adara. She is super cool and very cute." James said, slapping Sirius' hand away from his bag of chips. "Besides, you did not look like 'just friends' to us when she laid her head on your stomach!"

"Yeah, what is that about?" Sirius probed.

Remus shook his head and began to explain. "She always does that. We always sit under that tree to read, and when she gets uncomfortable, she lays her head on my lap or stomach when she lays down. She just does it so she won't lay her head on a root!"

"If I was in your place, I don't think my lap would be the best place for her head, if you know what I mean. Might be a bit awkward." Sirius teased.

"And, what is the excuse for you stealing glances at her while you read?" asked James, interested to hear the answer.

Remus turned red when he realized that he had been caught. "I-I… I just want to make sure she is comfortable… I guess…" He muttered the last part in defeat, as he truly did not know how to answer the question.

James and Sirius laughed as their furry friend finished his sentence.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You too will never leave this alone, will you?"

Sirius, managing to snag the bag from James and dump a handful of chips in his mouth, said, "Nope!"

James laid down on his side and held his head up with his hand and stated, "At least you know the outcome of something! You know now that even after meeting us, she still likes you better."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. About that, anyways."

"I can honestly say that I have never been shot down from being on someone's top dating list. Especially not by being beaten by you, Moon." Sirius said thoughtfully. Remus looked offended and punched him in the chest. "Oi! I meant that as a compliment, you prick."

"She was joking when she said that anyway. She wouldn't put me as her number one on her date list! Look at me compared to you two! I don't have nice clothes, great hair, and loads of money. She just said that just to be funny, I'm sure."

"I think I'm going to take another shot at writing Lily. She may be interested in helping us!" James stated.

"Helping us with what?! I don't need any help! I told you, I am perfectly fine with how everything is!" Remus gave up as James continued to write.

_Dearest Lily,_

_I am very honored that you have decided to read my letter to you. I am glad that you are over what you said in your last letter. Don't worry; I forgive you for what you said. I know that the hateful words are just for show. I will wait for you for as long as I need to._

_WAIT! WAIT! DO NOT THROW THIS AWAY YET! I wanted to ask what your take on a situation was, with you being a very intelligent, stunningly beautiful woman and I but a lowly simple man._

_**Yeah, a "simple" man who does a lot of complex thinking!**_

_I have failed to mention that this is a collaboratively written letter… Probably because I did not realize that it was one until Remus snatched the letter from me! _

_Anyway, darling. I wrote to you to ask for your help. Remus here does not think that he needs it, but I, for one, think that he does. As you know from my previous letter, I am at Remus'. When we arrived, we heard his mum and him talking about his feeling and-_

**He has a girlfriend in the making but won't admit that he even likes her. Keep it short, Prongs.**

_Yes. Exactly. To keep it short, Remus has a friend (a _girl_, mind you) that none of us knew about that he met about a month ago here in town. They have been spending a lot of time together at each other's house and calling each other. She has moved around a lot, so she has never really had friends and never had a boyfriend. We were joking and asked her to keep us on the top of the list for potential boyfriends because we saw her first. (Don't worry, Lily-flower. I have given all of my heart to you.) She said that if any of us were to be number one, it would be Remus. (Well, I tried to keep it short!)_

_**She did not say it like that! She said that if she had to go on that logic (of seeing her first), I would be number one, just because I knew her first.**_

**Incorrect. She didn't say it was "just because" you knew her first. She just left it open. Also, Lily, before I give this parchment back to either one of them, I will give you some details showing that this isn't all fabricated and that Moony does have something for her. Apparently when she and Remus read together in her yard every day, she lays her head on his stomach or his lap. When she does this, our Remus loses concentration from his book and steals looks at the girl the whole time! I've witnessed it. Plus, he paid for her ticket at the movie tonight. He called her beautiful and the girl kissed him on the cheek. He has been bright red for half of the day. Am I right or what? Oh, and this morning, before we woke him, he started mumbling in his sleep about-**

_**Okay. That's enough. I apologize for this, Lily. They are wasting ink and your time. Have a lovely night. Why am I even writing anymore? There is no way I will allow this to be sent!**_

Remus started to rip up the letter, but James grabbed it. "Remus! Don't you know what this will do? It's letting us know from the female perspective on what you should do and what the situation looks like in her eyes. Besides, this could be a real conversation between me and Lily ("and you guys," James muttered to himself). You can't take that away from me! Moony, this could be my ticket in! I am showing her that I am compassionate, romantic, and a good friend. Not to mention, my penmanship is impeccable."

Remus sighed deeply. "Fine. But, no more about what I do when I sleep! That is personal! Hell, the whole situation is personal! But since you are more than willing to exploit me for your own personal gain, by all means!" Remus stated sarcastically. Apparently, the sarcasm was overlooked.

"I'm glad you are understanding things my way! Thanks, mate!" James happily continued writing who knows what else, before signing the letter and sending it on with Remus' owl, Godwin.

They watched a Muggle television show while they waited. After a few episodes, they heard Godwin tapping at the window. Untying it from Godwin's leg, the boys read the letter together.

_Dear Marauders,_

_How does Remus feel about having his feelings discussed like a Quidditch game? These types of things are private! Remus, I hate that you have to put up with these meddling Neanderthals._

_However, since you wrote in the letter as well, I assume you too are interested in what I have to say._

_First off, James Potter. Will you ever stop with the letters and the like? If you actually acted like a normal person instead of a fool, I could maybe hold a conversation with you. When you send me things like "You are the most ravishing thing at Hogwarts. I could never bare it for you to be with another. I would duel for your hand," I find that very possessive and kind of irrational. Before I go on about you, I will just get to the matter at hand._

_Remus, I am so glad that you have met someone around your area. I intend to hear more about this girl when I see you next. From the sounds of it, you do like her, even if you don't think you do or want to admit it. It is okay (and normal) for you to like someone, you know. It is not a crime. I know what you are thinking. Just because of you being a you-know-what, that doesn't mean you don't have a chance at being with someone. From the little bit I have heard makes me think she might like you as well, but honestly, I've done the same things with Severus. It can be hard to dictate if a girl likes you or if she is just that comfortable around you. It is hard for me to judge, not knowing her. I say, go with your gut feeling. It is your life. You are the only one who can make the next move. Nobody can do it for you. So, you just have to decide if you actually would want to take that next step._

_Potter and Black: please don't harass the guy. These kinds of things do not happen often for Remus, so try to let him work it out on his own. Believe me, he will come to you, if and when he has an issue with girls or dating. Please behave at Ms. Lupin's house. The poor woman already has to deal with your messes and bathroom and eating habits. The least you can do is be polite and not destroy her house._

_I hope you all have your school supplies ready. From what I hear, the books are in short supply this semester. If you haven't already gotten them, I would go first thing in the morning. I will see you all on the train next week._

_Yours,_

_Lily Evans_

Remus handed the letter back to James after he finished reading it.

"See? I told you that she had something for him!" Sirius said to James.

"Not necessarily, Sirius! Lily said herself that it could just be that she is comfortable around me. And you know what? I am satisfied with that. Want to know why? I. Do. Not. Have. Feelings. For. Adara. Lily was mistaken. Why did you even have to bring Lily into this in the first place? Now I will have one _more _person try and convince me that I have feelings that are not there! Can you get it through your heads what I have been trying to tell you and drop it already?" Remus had gotten frustrated trying to convince them that they were wrong. Remus laid on his bed and began to read his new Defense Against the Dark Arts book.

Sirius started to speak, but seeing James shake his head as a sign not to bring it up again, he kept his thoughts to himself. They knew that Remus got edgy when it neared the full moon. On any normal day, he would have kept his cool. But, then again, having someone (or, in Remus' case, multiple someones) try and talk you into something that you did not want to do, you would be a bit uptight too after almost two days of constant pestering.

To break the up the silence from the tension, Sirius began. "So, I was thinking. Our first prank of the year should be epic!" The boys all then discussed the different possibilities, before each of them dozed off.

_**Alright guys! I hate to be THAT girl by begging for reviews, but… Could you throw me some? I need to know if I am making this too cheesy or if I am writing a character flaw. Whatever you think, please let me know. Also, suggestions are appreciated. I already know where I am going with this, but if you think of something that could help develop the story more, sent it my way! If you want to keep me motivated, give me some feedback!**_

_**Thanks to those who have reviewed already, and to those that have added me as a favorite or are following me. A nonny mouse, you brighten my day when you review! I get sad that no one reviews, but then I refresh the page and there you are! I hope I can keep you reading!**_

_**Sorry for the lengthy Authors Note. I hate when people do that. It won't happen again… if you review! ;)**_

_**MaverickMarauder**_


	6. Chapter 6

The full moon came and went as usual.

The day of the full moon, when Remus laid in bed all day, Adara came by to bring her friend some soup and chocolate, because he always had chocolate on him. He smiled at her weakly and sat up slightly in his bed to eat the soup. He did not really want it, but he did not want to be rude.

After he finished eating, she sat on the tire swing outside of his house talking to Sirius and James, who subtly convinced her to stay inside tonight due to a news warning about a dangerous wolf that had escaped earlier that evening from a zoo not too far from them. Hearing this, Adara headed back to her house to keep safe.

After waking up near his backyard in the woods the next morning, he slipped back into bed. The other two boys had fallen asleep the night before not far from him and had followed suit, but instead slept in the living room. With Ms. Lupin being a healer, the healing process was a lot like when he was at Hogwarts. He was fed potions and sleeping draughts to knock out the boy in pain.

Sometime in the afternoon on the day after the full moon, Adara called his house to make sure Remus was doing better. Sleepily, Sirius answered, as Ms. Lupin had to work that afternoon.

"Hello?"

"Sirius? Hey, it's Adara. How is Remus feeling?"

Rubbing his eyes, Sirius answered. "He is sleeping now. Guy did not get much sleep last night. He was up, sick."

Adara noticed how his voice sounded, like he was nearly hoarse and that he had just woken up. "You aren't getting what he has are you? You don't sound very good."

"Nah, I'm fine. We stayed up all night with him. Poor guy. Prongs is still asleep too. He's fine too, before you ask." Sirius could hear her concern for them and let her know about her other friend before she had a chance to worry.

"Okay, good. Hey, have you heard any more about that wolf that escaped? Do you know if it was captured yet?"

"Yeah, they got him contained around sun up this morning. You don't have to worry. Unless, of course, they don't fix the cages. He could be out again if they don't do that."

"Yeah, for sure! Well, I will let you go and get some sleep. I just wanted to check on him. Will you get him to call me later if he feels up to it? I would come over, but I need to finish my packing for school. Today is the last day to do it."

"No problem, love. I need to be doing the same thing today. I have most everything packed already, but I need to double check it all and put some clothes in. I'll be ready." Sirius stated.

Adara smiled over the phone. "Okay, Sirius. It was nice talking to you and meeting you guys! I am leaving out early tomorrow, but maybe I'll be able to see you all before either of us leave. Either way, you better come back and visit me next summer or winter break!"

"Same to you! And we will, no doubt. If we don't get to say goodbye: have a good school year and have fun! We'll miss you! Until next time, sweetheart! Goodbye!"

After the phone call was over, Sirius headed back to his couch and dozed back off.

The boys spent half of the day sleeping before they got up to finish packing. James and Sirius helped Remus get his last minute things together while he slept; he had already had most of his clothes already packed, the only things left to pack were his few school books that he had gotten a jumpstart in studying. Remus woke up about 6PM that evening, and Sirius gave him the message from Adara.

He dialed her familiar number.

Darren picked up the phone. "Foley residence."

"Hello, Mr. Foley. It's Remus. How are you doing?" Remus responded politely to the man.

"Oh, hello! I am well, son. How are you? Adara has told me that you were sick. She's been worried about you all day, knowing that you have to start school tomorrow."

"I'm doing better now. I believe it was a 48-hour bug. I should be fine tomorrow. Is she around?"

"Yes, let me go find her for you."

It did not take Darren long to find his worried daughter. Adara smiled as she picked up the phone.

"Rem! I was hoping you would call! I tried to call you earlier but Sirius said you were still asleep. The reason that I had called was not just because I wanted to check on you, but also because I was hoping to see you before we all leave tomorrow."

Remus had nearly forgotten that term began the next day. He was excited to go back, but at the same time, he was not ready to leave his new found close friend and neighbor. He had grown accustomed to being around her.

"I would like to see you too," Remus replied, before thinking of something. "How about we meet in the field half way between our houses? We can hang out there for a while before we…" Remus drifted off, not really wanting to say the rest.

"…Say our goodbyes?" Adara said, sadly. She too was not ready to part with him yet. Remus was basically her only friend, aside from James and Sirius, who she would consider a friend although they had only known each other for just a day or so.

"Yeah… Would you like to do that?"

"Sounds like a plan. Meet you in an hour?" Adara had started smiling at the thought of seeing her handsome friend.

"Perfect. See you then!" Remus smiled at the sound of her smile and they hung up.

Remus went up the stairs to his room to get ready to meet Adara. James and Sirius had migrated up to Remus' room, playing wizard chess after they were done packing. At first, they did not notice that he was getting dressed, thinking he was getting ready for bed, until he put on regular clothes.

"What are you getting all dressed for at this time of night?" It was only 6:30, but they were going to have to go to sleep in a couple of hours, with them having to get on the train early the next morning. Sirius had told James how worried Adara was for Remus after he had gotten off the phone with her earlier, and he figured that was he was going to meet up with her, but had to ask.

"Going to go meet up with Adara." Remus was hoping that he would be able to go by himself to see her, but he did not want to have to _say_ that. He already saw how much hell they gave him before for saying she was beautiful and all. They would definitely be on him even more if he made it look like it was some sort of date. Of course, which it _wasn't._ "You...uh… You guys don't have to go…If you don't want to. I would understand… NOT that I don't want you guys to go. I just figured you wouldn't want to go because you're in the middle of a game."

James knew that after the hell that they gave him the past few days, especially after Remus came off of his cool about it, that they shouldn't ride him about it. He could also tell by the way he "asked" them to go, that he obviously didn't want them to tag along and that he wanted to be alone.

"Yeah, bud. I think the twoof us are going to just hang out here… You know, play another game of wizard chess, maybe some Exploding Snap. We've been around for the last few days; we'll let you guys have some time alone." James answered for the two of them.

Remus, not expecting it would be that easy, looked at his mates.

"Really? No ragging?"

"Nope. I mean, we could come up with something if you'd like!" Sirius smiled.

"I really expected for you guys to be like '_Oh, you want to be alone, eh? Getting some summer lovin' before we head off tomorrow? Yada yada yada...' _I did not think it would be this easy."

"No, we realized after the other night that if you have feelings for her, you would be able to _trust us_ _and tell us_. Since you say you don't have feelings for her, we believe you." James explained.

"If anything ever changed, you guys would be the first ones I tell. I just still can't believe you are jumping all over with your bantering!" Remus said, looking in his mirror, straightening his shirt.

"We'll still give you hell about every now and then about it, of course. But, we don't mean anything by it. We just want to see ya happy is all, mate." Sirius stated, laughing and smiling a bit.

Remus felt bad. He sighed before speaking. "Yeah, I know… Guys, I shouldn't have acted like I did the other night. I know that it is just all for fun, but it was really getting to me, all the teasing. But, I should not have gone off like that. You guys were just trying to help me out, and I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, mate. We are sorry for taking it too far. We shouldn't have gotten Lily involved." Sirius replied and James nodded.

"Although, she did owl me today and asked how it was going for you, Moony. She actually STARTED a conversation with me! It's a start!" James piped in, excitedly.

They laughed. Remus looked at his watch and rushed to finish getting ready.

"Alright, guys. I'll be back after a while. Don't burn down the place while I am gone!"

"Of course not! We will wait until you get back to light the match!" Sirius laughed.

Remus rushed down the stairs and out the door. He rushed to the area where they would be meeting. As he approached, he could see the silhouette of a girl turn into Adara.

"Sorry I am a little late! I was talking to the guys."

She hugged him. "No! It's fine. I just got here myself. Still feeling good?"

"Oh, I am much much better. It was just a bug. Get it a lot."

Adara nodded. "So, where are those two goofballs at? Didn't want to see me?"

Remus rubbed his hand on the back of his neck as he thought about the answer. "No, it wasn't that. They were playing chess. They said that they would let us be alone."

"Oh!" Adara was not sure what that meant exactly. Did that mean alone or _alone_? Were they _alone_ or just alone? To relieve the pending awkwardness, she asked, "So, what were you guys talking about? Not that I am prying."

"The other night. I had sort of went off a bit on them and I was apologizing."

"What happened?"

Remus didn't really know what else to say. "They have been giving me hell for talking about you and being around you so much. I told them that we were just friends. It was a little more to it than that, but that's the jist of it."

"What? Do they think we are secretly dating or something?" Adara laughed.

Remus laughed. "Not exactly. They just think that we are more than friends."

"Why? Because we hang out and read together?" Adara shook her head at his friends' thinking.

"Pretty much. But, it's also because I don't talk to many girls. Honestly, I am only friends with one girl, other than you, and James has been after her for forever, so it's not like I would ever date her anyway. Sirius has been trying to get me to talk to more girls, but I haven't until I met you. They assume that since we are friends that I have to be interested in you."

"That's stupid. Guys and girls can be just as much friends without having feelings for each other."

"Right?! Everything I have said about you, they have taken it as undying love or something. For instance, the night that they came into town, after I mentioned you, Sirius was talking about getting with you. I told him about the warning that I gave you. The one about him going after anything with a pretty face? He took that as flirting and then it just escalated." Remus said, laughing.

Adara laughed. "That's ridiculous. And, Sirius? Getting with _me_? I don't think so. I know I haven't dated before, and he is attractive and funny and all, but I don't see that happening. He is just _way_ too into himself from what I've seen. He is a really nice guy, but I am not into conceited men. I like a guy who is comfortable with himself but not someone who looks in the mirror more than I do."

Remus nodded, understanding. "I don't think I've ever told you this, but I have never dated anyone either. That is undoubtedly a reason that they are pestering me like they are."

"Seriously, Rem? Not one girl?" Remus shook his head. "Why not?"

"I have some issues with letting someone in 100% because I am scared of rejection. And I have never tried because honestly, the girls at school are more interested in going through me to get to Sirius and James. I couldn't tell you how many pretty girls have given me false hope walking up to me with a smile, only to ask if Sirius or James were seeing anyone at the time. So, I've kind of given up pretty much any interest. Not that I was really interested before."

Adara shook her head. "I can see why people would be interested in them. They are fun to be around and they are nice guys. But, I guarantee you that not all girls are going to be interested in James and Sirius. I'm not! I think you'd be a way better catch! You have it all! You're quiet and mysterious. You're funny. You're smart. You're a big sweetheart. And to top it off, you're pretty attractive." Adara and Remus both blushed and smiled.

"Thanks. I really appreciate that. I was really nervous about you meeting them at first." Remus admitted.

"Why is that?" Adara asked curiously.

"Paranoia. I was afraid that once you met them that you would fall for them like all of the other girls do. I mean, not so much fall for them, but you would just be more interested in them then you were with me. I didn't want to lose you." Remus blushed as he finished, turning to look up at the stars.

Adara smiled at his words. It made her heart melt to know that. To know that her friend cared about their friendship so much, not romantically speaking. She hugged him before punching him in the shoulder slightly.

"Ow! What was that for?" Remus rubbed his arm.

"You won't lose me. So just remember that, okay? I'll always be interested in you Remus. You are my first real friend. You are the boy I met this summer who showed me what having a friend is like. You are the favorite part of my day, Rem. So, there is no need to get jealous about me making friends."

Remus nodded and smiled. "You are a great person, Addie. I am so glad that I met you. You are very uplifting and special to me. I wish that this summer wouldn't end so soon."

Adara frowned. "Me neither. I am so not looking forward to being in a new school. At first I was really excited about staying, but now I realize that I will see everyone again and that I will need to make friends and I am not used to that."

Remus put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Addie, you will be fine. Believe me. I know how you feel about not being sure about making friends. But, it will happen for you. If it happened for me, it will happen for you. If it's any consolation, you are the first girl that I have really made friends with since Lily (and that was when we were 11), and you approached me! You won't have any problems. Trust me."

She smiled at his confident words. This is why she loved Remus. He was always so heart felt. She couldn't ask for a better friend. "I hope I make friends like you there."

"Just don't go replacing me!" Remus winked.

He looked at his watch. 8:45.

He sighed and looked back at his house in the distance. He could make out two heads in his window that was still lit up.

"I guess I have to get back. We have to get up early and catch the train. I… guess I'll see you on break." Remus said sadly.

Adara felt herself tearing up. She hugged him tightly. "Promise that you'll write?"

"Of course! As long as you promise to write back." Remus smiled into her hair, which he noticed smelled enjoyably of strawberry shampoo. Adara laughed.

They let go. With one last goodbye, they separated ways and walked back to their houses.

_**Sorry about not updating sooner. Kind of had a slight case of writers block and I have been on a slight kick about planning my wedding next year. The reviews have helped me push to a new chapter though. This chapter is decent, but not my favorite. It will get better! I hope you guys stick around for more. Please keep the reviews coming. If you would like to suggest an idea that I can incorporate, I would be happy to do that. Hope that you enjoy it! Until next time! - MaverickMarauder**_


	7. Chapter 7

After Remus' return, the boys all turned in. They knew that, although they were not far from the train station, they needed to get there somewhat early, so that they could get their annual compartment on the train.

The next morning came quickly, it seemed. The boys gathered their trunks and items together and loaded them into the back of Cheyenne's car to be off. Arriving at around 9:10AM, the boys came upon a very unexpected surprise.

"Adara?" Sirius asked.

Adara, along with Andrea and Darren, were standing near the 9 ¾ entrance, looking at their ticket questionably. Hearing the familiar voice, they turned to see Remus, Sirius, James, and Cheyenne. Shocked and worried, she answered. "Guys? What are you doing here?"

"Guess we should ask the same question. You look confused. Need help?" James replied, smiling.

Thinking it was just a coincidence that they happened upon them at that area, the Foley's did not know what to say.

"Uh… Kind of… We are just misplaced, is all. We will figure it out. You probably should go, though. Doesn't your train leave soon?" Andrea looked at the boys, unsure and not wanting to let it be known that they were of magical descent.

"No, no! Uh… We… Our train doesn't leave for almost an hour and a half or so, so it's fine. We will stay with you and help you out, we don't mind." Remus replied, not wanting to walk through the entrance right in front of them.

Cheyenne began walking towards them to look at the ticket. As she approached, Andrea said quickly, "We got this ticket from a guy that was not at a booth! Uh… We figured it would be cheaper, but it's _obviously _bogus, of course." She did not want Cheyenne to get any ideas or to question people about it.

Upon seeing the ticket, Cheyenne gave a sigh of relief and smiled. "You guys aren't muggles then, I am assuming?"

At this, they all let out sighs of relief. "Thank Merlin! I was terrified that Adara was going to miss the train! We have no idea what _9 ¾ _is supposed to mean or where it's at."

Remus and the guys looked at Adara and laughed. "You are a witch?! I can't believe it!"

Adara grinned happily. "I can't believe it either! I make 3 new friends over the summer and they just _happen _to be wizards AND go to Hogwarts! I swear, with the luck I am having so far, I could put some money on _anything_, I'd bet, and win!" She ran over to the boys and hugged them.

They showed the Foley's how to enter through 9 ¾ and stopped to admire the shiny red train. Everyone hugged and kissed and said goodbye before the teens boarded the train with their trunks.

Adara followed the three Marauders to "their" compartment, all the while grinning with delight.

After putting their trunks up and sitting down, they began talking.

Sirius started. "Merlin, I really wanted to play some Quidditch while we were at Moony's this week too! Had we known before, we could have played two on two!"

They laughed. "I am not too big on flying, really. I will do it, but it is definitely not something that I love," answered Adara.

"Why is that?" James asked the girl sitting across from him. Adara and Sirius sat on one side, while James and Remus sat on the other with Remus closest to the window, as always.

"Well, I don't enjoy the feeling that I am falling. A broom is not as solid as the ground, so I don't trust it completely."

"I understand completely. I feel very similar when it comes to flying. The only difference is that I just don't fly at all." Remus laughed as he saw James and Sirius shake their heads, as if to say "You don't know what you're missing!"

The three laughed and joked, before Peter found them. As he walked in, noticing Adara, he shyly waved before sitting down next to James.

The guys rolled their eyes. "Since Pete won't do it himself… Adara, this is our mate Peter. Wormtail, Adara." James introduced them.

She smiled a kind smile to obviously shy and pudgy boy. He was not nearly as attractive as the rest of them were, she noticed, but she knew that even with his obvious differences from them, he had to be a nice and funny guy too, to be able to fit with these guys.

She extended her hand to him to shake, which he did. "I am Remus' new friend and neighbor. I met the guys this summer. I met these two through Remus, of course."

He smiled in understanding and chuckled upon his thoughts before voicing them. "How many times has Sirius hit on you so far?"

The group laughed, with the exception of Sirius who pretended to be shocked and hurt. "Wormy! I would never hit on someone I didn't know without knowing them!" That just made them laugh harder, even Adara knowing full well that that was definitely not the case.

The group continued to talk and laugh, and enjoyed sweets from the trolly as it made its rounds. Their current conversation was cut short by a beautiful red headed excitedly rushing into the compartment. Almost instantly and undoubtedly unconsciously, the unruly haired teen ran his hand through his hair and began speaking to her.

"Lily! How was your summer? Wanna go-" He was cut off, somewhat intentionally by the red-head who questioned Remus instantly.

"Okay, Remus. Spill it. Who is this girl? What is she like? I want details!" She had noticed Adara in the compartment, but seeing as she was seated next to Sirius, she automatically assumed that she was the current fling of Sirius'.

At her words, Remus' eyes grew wide and he blushed. He coughed before speaking. "Lily, let me introduce you to Adara, my _friend and neighbor_." He gave her a look before she turned to Adara.

Understanding instantly, Lily blushed. She did not intend on trying to embarrass her friend. She just wanted to get the scoop as soon as she could. She knew about Remus' condition and was very interested in the idea of Remus dating, although he had not showed any signs of even remote interest until this girl. She smiled a genuinely sweet smile at the new girl as she introduced herself.

"Hi! I'm Lily. I apologize for not introducing myself before. I wasn't trying to be rude." Lily shook Adara's hand, who smiled back. She seemed like a nice enough girl, Adara thought. She hoped that Lily would become her first female friend, as she had not had one before.

"No, it's fine! I understand." She scooted over to make room for her to sit beside her. Sirius and James switched placed, surprisingly with Lily having no problem with this.

Lily sat down and turned to Adara. "So, you are new to Hogwarts? What year are you?"

"Yeah, I've moved around a lot, but now I am here to stay. I am a 4th year, just like the guys. What about you?"

"I am too! I am in Gryffindor with these four. What about you? Have you already been sorted?"

Adara looked confused. "What's Gryffindor? I assume that I haven't been sorted yet; it was not mentioned in my letter. Is that bad? Should I have replied back about it?" She started to worry.

Lily gave her comforting smile. "No, it's fine. You will likely be sorted with the first years then. Don't worry. There are four houses that the sorting hat could sort you into. There is Gryffindor, where we are sorted, then there is Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin."

"Okay, good! I was getting worried for a moment. What does it sort you based off of?"

"Basically, it's based off of your personality. It is kind of like this: the brave go to Gryffindor, the loyal go to Hufflepuff, the studious go to Ravenclaw, and the sly go to Slytherin."

Adara nodded. "So, what exactly does 'sorting' mean? If I got put into another house than you all, will I ever see any of you?" She started to worry again, because she had been to a school before that split everyone up and you were only allowed to be with your own house. She really didn't want to have to be walking around the school alone knowing that her best and only friends are off somewhere else.

"No, no! If we get separated, we will still be around a lot. We do have some classes that are separated by house, but not many. Most of them have a mixture of students. The only thing that is really separated is the place you sleep." Remus answered, joining their conversation.

Lily nodded. "Yeah, and even if we did get separated, you could always sleep over at Gryffindor if you wanted to. Not in the boys dorms, of course, but in the girls dorm or the common room."

Adara looked pleased. "That's awesome! I just don't want to be walking around the school alone, knowing that all the people that I know and are friends with are somewhere else and I can't be around them. I don't know how to make friends as it is!"

Remus scoffed jokingly. "Well, _excuse_ me for thinking that we were friends! I'm sorry to inform you of this, but you have already made 5 friends. And, 3 of them were made before today!"

Adara teased back. "We aren't friends; I just use you for your books!"

Remus clutched his heart. "How hurtful! But, I must admit, I use you for your books too. Pretty good taste, I might add."

Peter and Lily looked at Remus like he had grown another head. This was not the Remus they were used to. Sirius and James found it funny to hear Remus flirting, and even funnier that Remus probably did not even know he was doing it.

Remus and Adara kept talking and teasing back and forth. While this happened, Lily leaned over James, who was not expecting the attention.

"So, I guess he admitted to being attracted to her then?" Lily whispered.

"Nope. He said that you were mistaken and that they have no attraction to each other. He said that they were just friends. We hassled him about it after you replied and he got super defensive and went off on us, so we decided to let it go… for now."

Lily raised her eyebrow at his answer. "Are you kidding? No attraction? Clearly, he is blind."

James chuckled quietly. "He said that if that ever changed, he would let us know. Mate made it very clear that he did not have feelings for her." James smiled. "But, he did want to say his goodbyes to her alone last night. Didn't outright tell us not to go, but you could tell that he just wanted to be alone with her. Got all spiffy too."

Lily smiled at the two who were now discussing a book that they had both enjoyed. "They would make a good couple. But I guess, it won't matter until one of them decides that they actually are attracted to each other and makes a move."

James quietly chuckled again. "Knowing Remus and the way she is, I don't see either of them making any moves."

Lily nodded before checking her watch and standing. "Adara, I am about to change. Would you like to join me? I know they seem charming, but they would still try and catch a peep if possible." Lily smirked before adding, "Even Remus!" She winked at Remus, who turned red at the suggestion.

"I wouldn't do that!" Remus denied with a stained face, making the girls smile and the guys laugh.

Adara gathered her uniform and followed Lily out of the compartment and down the hall to a free compartment. They locked the door and shut the curtains before changing.

Lily began a conversation with Adara as they changed.

"So, how did you and Remus meet?" Lily asked curiously.

Adara smiled, remembering. "Well, my first day in town and the day I found out that I was going to be here permanently, I ended up in a bookstore not far from my house. I saw Remus reading and caught him glancing at me. I knew that I needed to make friends, so I took a chance and approached him. We found out that we were neighbors and I suggested that we swap books and gave him my number. And that's pretty much it!"

Lily smiled at the sight of her smile. Adara's smile was contagious. She looked genuinely happy when she smiled. Lily could tell from just the way she spoke of Remus that he made her happy.

"You two seem to get along very well. I am happy that Remus made friends with you. The other three pester him about talking to girls, well mostly just Potter and Black. Truly, they just want to see him find someone to make him happy. Those two, they are pompous pricks, but they do care a lot for their friends."

Adara assumed where Lily was going to go with that, so she spoke to clear it up. "I hope you don't have the wrong idea about me and Remus, like the guys do. Remus told me last night that they have been teasing him about me, thinking we have some kind of love affair going on or something. To be straight about it, I think Remus is attractive and he has a great personality, but I don't have any kind of romantic feelings towards him and neither does he. He even said so last night. Well, more or less."

Lily nodded. She thought the girl was just in denial, but agreed with her none the less.

"I understand. It's possible for girls and guys to be friends and not have feelings for each other. I have a guy friend and as far as I'm concerned, there are no romantic feelings. We have been best friends since we were 9 years old. He goes to Hogwarts too. He's a Slytherin named Severus."

They continued to talk while they finished dressing. Meanwhile, in the Marauder compartment, Peter was interested in finding out information on Remus' new interest.

"So, you've made some changes since the last time I saw you, Moony." Peter said to set up the conversation.

Remus, still chewing on his chocolate frog, tied his red and gold tie. He looked at Peter questionably before asking what he meant.

Peter, chewing his pastries from the trolly, answered. "Seems like you've gotten more confident. Made new friends. And the most obvious part being _you are actually talking to girls about something besides schoolwork._"

Remus rolled his eyes at this. "Not you too!" Shaking his head, he knew now that Peter had brought it up, the other two were going to be giving their two cents and most likely begin the teasing again.

Peter looked at the other two Marauders. "What do you guys think?"

They looked between Remus and Peter. "From what he says, there are no feelings between them and that they are only friends…" began James. Remus nodded, opening his mouth to thank him, but was cut off by Sirius.

"…But, from what we witnessed over the last few days, we don't believe that that is very true. We all know Moon over here doesn't do the dating thing. From the way it looked to us, they have _non-dates _regularly."

Peter looked at him confused before asking what he meant. Sirius started to answer, but was cut off by Remus, who made it obvious that he had had this conversation many different times. Remus let out an exasperated sigh before putting his head in his hands, knowing that he could not stop them from continuing. After a thought, he pulled out a book in an effort to ignore them.

"He is trying to say that when I go over to her house and we sit by the tree to read for a couple of hours, that we are having some type of date. He is just being ridiculous. How many times have you seen me and Lily reading together? Exactly. And we ALL know that Lily and I aren't going on dates." Remus began reading as they continues.

Nodding, Peter looked at Sirius. "So he reads with her? What's the big deal about that?"

Sirius and James looked at each other smiling, before Sirius answered. "He left out that fact of how _close _they are when they read."

James' smile widened. "Her head apparently ends up on his lap or stomach every time they read together like that. And they do this just about every day."

Peter looked at Remus, who they could see had turned pink. He responded from behind the large book. "They are looking at it all wrong. We sit by the tree and instead of laying her head on roots, she just uses my lap. It doesn't mean anything!"

Sirius laughed at Remus' blush. "Must mean something with that face! But another fact about Remus we all know is that damn near nothing can pull this kid from a book; much less make him lose his place." Peter nodded, as if asking for him to continue.

"Adara herself told us that he _regularly_ loses his place when they read together. We watched them. Whenever her head hits his lap, he barely turns a page. He's too busy stealing glances at the broad!"

Remus looked up, redder. He stammered embarrassedly to deny it, but Lily and Adara walked about the time he started to stammer. The present conversation stopped. Lily and Adara looked at them all questionably before sitting down. Lily would never sit with the Marauders, but she had taken a liking to Adara and wanted to sit with her. Plus, Severus was sitting with his pure-blood sadist Slytherin friends, and she would – well, _could_ – not have a part of that.

Adara looked at Remus' bright colored face, "What's up?"

Remus just shook his head and started reading. Adara raised her eyebrow. She looked at the three who were grinning, picking out Peter to directly talk to. "They have gotten you started on it too, haven't they?"

Peter looked at her, not sure what she meant but was assuming. He just played dumb; he was good at that. "Huh?"

Adara just shook her head before pulling out a book herself. She didn't want to bring it up the weird conversation. She knew that more than likely they had started up again, with the teasing. What bothered her was that they _didn't _have feelings for each other. They had both made it clear. So, why did they have to keep saying so to everyone.

She and Remus both read until the conductor came over the speakers with the announcement about their periodic arrival. They all gathered up their items. As Adara finished up her gathering, she saw it in the distance. Hogwarts. It was so majestic looking. She had no idea that it looked so beautiful. Much less, she had no idea that she would be living in a _castle _for the next 4 years!

Looking back over at her new friends, she smiled. She knew that this was the year that everything was going to change, and she liked the sound of that.

_**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am excited to really get the story going! What do you think of the relationship between Remus and Adara? Question for the readers: I have not completely decided which house I should put her in yet. What do you guys think? Let me know! Give me your input!**_

_**And to A nonny mouse: Yes ma'am. :] We have been together for 9 years, come June 28**__**th**__**. We are getting married on our 10 year anniversary. We've been together since we were 13 years old. He is a super great guy! He's a drummer too. Everyone should check out his band (if you are into metal :D). You can find them on iTunes, , and Facebook. The band's name is Excessum and the album is "The Battle Has Begun." Let me know if you like them! :]**_

_**Sorry for the long A/N. But anyway! Just give me your thoughts on the story so far!**_

_**Thanks guys! Will update soon!**_

_**-MaverickMarauder**_


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